Guyana Minister Zulfikar Mustapha hands over barbed wire and wallaba to help farmers recover production

Guyana: The Agriculture Minister of Guyana, Zulfikar Mustapha handed over a quantity of barbed wire and wallaba posts to members of the Ithaca Farmers and Livestock Group to assist with improving their production and elevate the agriculture sector of the country to greater heights.

As per the details, recently the members of the group met with the President of the country, Irfaan Ali and requested them for their assistance with fencing their farmlands as cattle is continuing to enter their farms and destroy their crops.

After receiving the help and support from the Agriculture Ministry, a member of the farmers’ group, Michella Benjamin expressed her excitement and stated that she was overjoyed to receive the inputs. She added that these inputs would be utilized by them with a vision to move forward with fencing the land and improving their production.

The agriculture minister Mustapha stated that there will continue to be a conflict between cash crops, rice, and cattle farmers, and for the same, he stated that his government will continue to make efforts to provide necessary support to sustain and develop all industries of the country.

The agriculture minister of the country has been making several steps with a vision to lead the nation towards fulfilling their agenda of reducing 25% of food import bill by 2025. For the same, Minister Zulfikar Mustapha led a delegation headed by the President of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Ambassador Dennis Francis, to visit the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute at Mon Repos on the East Coast of Demerara.

During their tour, the delegations made a visit to the tissue culture and soil testing laboratories, the mangrove center, the Agriculture Innovative and Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP), and the Victoria Green hydroponic farm.

While shedding light on the developments undertaken by Guyana in its agriculture sector, the Minister stated that the government has invested heavily in promoting and sustaining agricultural development in the nation. He stated that they are emphasising on several initiatives that are supporting technological advancement to increase youth involvement in Guyana’s new and existing agricultural programmes.

Moreover, during the tour, the NAERI Ambassador, Francis also lauded the authorities of the country for their progress and the continuous measures to reaching their target of 25 by 2025 initiative. Also, the Guyana Administration is currently working with IICA to develop the Center for Excellence in order to collaborate with other CARICOM states to offer scholarships for students who are studying at the Guyana School of Agriculture.

The Minister noted that they are committed to enhance the sustainable agriculture practices in the country as it is crucial for the survival and well-being of the nation.